Predicting The Winners Of The 2013 Golden Globes

Thought that we'd be having a bit of a breather from awards season stuff now that the Oscar nominations are out? Ha ha, think again. Sunday brings the Golden Globes, and though they are given out by the fairly discredited Hollywood Foreign Press Association, they are probably the most high-profile awards ceremony bar the Oscars. And this year, they have a slightly different role; the move up of the nomination announcements means that the Globes winners will be timed nicely for the start of phase two of Academy voting.

Thought that we'd be having a bit of a breather from awards season stuff now that the Oscar nominations are out? Ha ha, think again. Sunday brings the Golden Globes, and though they are given out by the fairly discredited Hollywood Foreign Press Association, they are probably the most high-profile awards ceremony bar the Oscars. And this year, they have a slightly different role; the move up of the nomination announcements means that the Globes winners will be timed nicely for the start of phase two of Academy voting.

While most in Hollywood realize that a Globe doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, it does give the winners the chance to show their graciousness and wit -- look at how Jean Dujardin's charming speech last year helped to cement his victory with the Academy, for example. So they could turn out to be somewhat crucial this year, depending on how the winners go down. Plus Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are hosting, so it should be fun at least. So, with a little over 48 hours to go, we've picked who we think will win. Make your own predictions in the comments section, and come back on Sunday for the results.

Best Television Series - Drama
"Breaking Bad"
"Boardwalk Empire"
"Downton Abbey"
"Homeland"
"The Newsroom"Should Win: "Breaking Bad," by a country mile.Will Win: Walter White's show is a possibility -- it's never been nominated in the category before -- but "Homeland" (last year's winner) or "Downton Abbey" feel more like traditional HFPA picks.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama
Connie Britton, "Nashville"
Glenn Close, "Damages"
Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Michelle Dockery, "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"Should Win: Though it's easily parodied, Claire Danes is still killing it week-on-week in "Homeland," even if the writing's not been as strong this year.Will Win: Given that Danes took the prize last year, she's a pretty safe bet to repeat.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama
Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Damian Lewis, "Homeland"
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"Should Win: As great as Cranston is on "Breaking Bad," Jon Hamm had his best year to date on "Mad Men," and would be a deserving winner here.Will Win: Hamm hasn't won since 2007, and Cranston's never won before, but Damian Lewis feels like the safe bet here.

Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Episodes"
"Girls"
"Modern Family"
"Smash"Should Win: Given that the HFPA failed to nominate any other deserving shows, this should be the excellent "Girls" in a cakewalk.Will Win: "Modern Family" or "The Big Bang Theory"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Zooey Deschanel, "New Girl"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Lena Dunham, "Girls"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"Should Win: Actually a remarkably strong category, as it was in the Emmys (there's no one who could win here that would upset us), but we think Amy Poehler deserves some recognition for her best turn yet on "Parks & Rec." And also for hosting the Globes themselves....Will Win: Her co-host Tina Fey could be a good bet, given that it's the final season of "30 Rock," but Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus is probably more likely.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
Louis C.K., "Louie"
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"Should Win: As great as Alec Baldwin's been in "30 Rock" this year, there's only one real choice here: Mr. Louis C.K.Will Win: Last year's winner Matt LeBlanc could repeat, but we've got a strange feeling about Don Cheadle in this category.

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
"Game Change"
"The Girl"
"Hatfields & McCoys"
"The Hour"
"Political Animals"Should Win: So long as it's not "The Girl," we don't mind. But "Game Change" is probably the best bet here, though the second season of "The Hour" was much improved.Will Win: "Game Change"

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nicole Kidman, "Hemingway and Gelhorn"
Jessica Lange, "American Horror Story: Asylum"
Sienna Miller, "The Girl"
Julianne Moore, "Game Change"
Sigourney Weaver, "Political Animals"Should Win: Although it was rubbish, Sienna Miller was actually very good in "The Girl," but we'd probably still lean towards Julianne Moore.Will Win: The Globes love Nicole Kidman, and the Globes love rewarding movie stars in this category, but Jessica Lange may be the favorite here (she won Supporting Actress last year) .

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Costner, "Hatfields & McCoys"
Benedict Cumberbatch, "Sherlock"
Woody Harrelson, "Game Change"
Toby Jones, "The Girl"
Clive Owen, "Hemingway and Gelhorn"Should Win:Benedict Cumberbatch is pretty astonishing in "Sherlock," to be fair, he'd be a worthy winner here.Will Win:Kevin Costner feels like the smart pick, though Woody Harrelson or Clive Owen might take it too.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture
Hayden Panettiere, "Nashville"
Archie Panjabi, "The Good Wife"
Sarah Paulson, "Game Change"
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"Should Win: This is a bonkers category, as ever, but we'd probably go with Archie Panjabi, who continues to be phenomenal on "The Good Wife," even if she got saddled with a rubbish plotline this year.Will Win: With Lange moved to another category, this feels like Maggie Smith's to lose.